I can feel the change. The last few weeks of this sweet summer are shifting. Wearing a sweater in the morning and lighting a fire to warm the chilly evenings, signals the whispers of autumn are approaching.

This summer I tended to my soul. For the first time in a long time, I took a pause.

I set an intention to create a summer dedicated to do exactly what I felt like doing. An experiment. What could happen? These past summer days, I mostly longed to fill my time outdoors— by myself, or with family and friends.

I want to give readers a chance to get to know me. To feel as if we were sitting together outside on my patio with a cup of tea, talking about our lives. It is these kinds of conversations that let us get a deeper understanding of one another, of what makes us who we are. I want to show you what I do and why I love it.

Practice yoga with your child. A beautiful way to spend quality time together in this short and easy to follow yoga sequence.

Allie came to know yoga at three years of age. She is now all grown up—a certified yoga instructor and a Pacifica graduate licensed psychotherapist.

The Sangre de Cristo Mountains (In Spanish translates to the “Blood of Christ”) —are just behind our home. This mountain range is the southernmost subrange of the Rocky Mountains. They run from southern Colorado to northern New Mexico. I hike or ride a horse in them most days, and when there isn’t snow on the ground the earth is a blood red color.

At 57 years old, I feel like I’ve returned to the beauty and rhythms of nature.

Coffee is one of my little favorite pleasures. What’s one of yours?

The cup and saucer, a gift from my mother-in-law (I think it’s about 100 years old). I just love using these cups every day. I think of her and her great sense of style.

Just as I like to watch clouds to give me a sense of peace, relaxation and fun— read more, Cloudy with a Chance of Joy. Do you see the clouds in my coffee cup too?

This morning I read about a guy who loves clouds. I think Gavin Pretor-Pinney did a really good TED TALK called, Cloudy with a Chance of Joy. He says, “ to step off the digital treadmill, lie back and admire the beauty in the sky above”.

On a recent trip to California, to celebrate the girls’ birthday, unexpected experiences appear. Allie is finishing up a two-year program studying depth psychology. Sarah and I join her at the end of one of her sessions to take a few days of R&R, and start 2020 in a fresh and inspiring way.

Over a glass of champagne, the three of us make a rough plan of what our three days in California will hold. We all agree — time together, in nature, along with good food and wine are the top of our list.

My intention and focus for these articles is to help parents build their emotional and physical capacity, whether that’s how to keep calm amidst chaos or tap into the pillars of great health. To learn how to nurture your connection first, which then radiates out to the entire family. To raise families who care — about themselves, about each other, and about the world around them.

Let’s get started. My first offering is all about how to create sacred space.

Meet a Zen Master. I was in California promoting my book A Moment’s Peace. One of the highlights of my trip was the opportunity to spend the afternoon with a Zen Master.

A brand new collection of gouache watercolor paintings. These are a little different, they are smaller, 11x17.5 framed and hold the flexibility to work in lots of different settings.

Last week I spoke to a savvy group of engaging and intelligent women at the Mommie Series in Houston. I talked about SACRED SPACE.

Do you long for a space in your home (and your soul) that is quiet, peaceful and and sacred? How do you create a space WITHIN YOU, and your home that nurtures your soul?

Retreat into Fall. Autumn Equinox Sept, 22,2018.

Today, hug a tree.

On Sunday, October 14th, 2018 in the natural environment of Houston’s arboretum a group of women will come together. They will spend the day retreating.

Seek patience and passion in equal amounts. Patience alone will not build the temple. Passion alone will destroy its walls. —Maya Angelou

Over chicken sandwiches at a charming Santa Fe bakery, my friend Keith shares with me his compelling three week experience to summit the highest mountain in America, Mt. Denali.

In a mother’s womb were two babies. One asked the other:
“Do you believe in life after delivery?”
The other replied, “Why, of course. There has to be something after delivery.

To appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better…

Many religions use the moon cycle to set their yearly calendars. This weekend’s full moon brings a surge of energy and reminds us of spring, new beginnings, rebirth–the opportunity to contemplate, “if I was able to die and be re-born, how would I change and do it different?”